With the Toronto Maple Leafs in the midst of a three-game losing streak, head coach Craig Berube revealed on Sunday that the team held a meeting to address their recent struggles ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Utah Hockey Club.
The Leafs have allowed 12 goals in their last two outings—blowing a 4-2 lead in a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and falling 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. Defensive miscues and inconsistency have been at the heart of their struggles, with the team surrendering multiple two-goal leads in the past three games.
Berube acknowledged the team’s concerns but stressed the importance of addressing them together at Sunday’s media availability.
“We’re frustrated, I think. Well, I wouldn’t say frustrated. Like I said last night, we’re making too many mistakes, giving up too many goals,” said Berube. “We had a good meeting this morning, guys spoke and (we’re) trying to get this thing straightened out.”
The meeting, according to Berube, was an open forum where players spoke up to share their thoughts. However, he kept details private when asked who decided to speak.
“I run it, but people speak,” he said. “That’s all private stuff. I don’t air that. We had a good meeting; that’s where I leave it at.”
The lapse in play hasn’t just occurred over the three-game stretch, but really since the group came back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The Leafs found ways to win tightly contested games, securing five straight victories – including three consecutive one-goal wins in Boston, New York, and Pittsburgh. However, mistakes have crept into their play.
“I think just resetting as a group, take a deep breath,” said captain Auston Matthews. “I think the results of the last couple of games haven’t been good, but I think as well, our game maybe hasn’t been trending in the right direction for the last couple of weeks. I think it’s just everyone taking a look in the mirror, being a little bit better, and holding each other accountable.”
With the Atlantic Division race as close as it is between the Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, every point matters. Toronto currently sits four points behind Florida for first place, with a game in hand. Winning the division will be important in securing a more favorable first-round matchup, potentially avoiding a clash with the Panthers or Lightning.
“It’s on everybody. Everybody’s part of it, we’re a team. We gotta be better in front of them, and I’m sure they want goals back that go in. It’s on all of us, coaches included,” said Berube. “We gotta get back on track. We’ve been a very good defensive team all year, and we’ve got to get back onto that because we are scoring goals, but we’re giving up too many.”
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Toronto, with upcoming games against Florida, Ottawa, Calgary, Colorado, and the New York Rangers in the mix. With another chance to earn some points on Monday, the club seems eager to clean up their play down the stretch.
